9 High-Protein Snacks

Add These Snacks To Your Diet And Pack On Serious Muscle

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Getting your required daily dose of protein can prove to be a real challenge, especially when you're trying to stay in shape, build some muscle or shed some weight. Or when you're away from home and are out and about. The good news is that a healthy amount of daily protein doesn't always have to come from a couple of scoops of chocolate whey for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

We're here to prove to you once and for all that a healthy high protein diet is not as difficult to maintain as it sounds. And you won't have to bring your hot plate to the office either. The following snacks can be bought and prepared pretty much anywhere and everywhere, plus they require little to no effort.

While the exact daily amount of required protein is a hotly debated topic, one thing is clear: To build muscle or lose weight, following a diet that's high in protein can be hugely beneficial compared to loading yourself up on carbohydrates every day or going on a "juice cleanse."

Why Protein Matters In Your Diet

There are countless reasons for you to pay more attention to your daily protein intake. We asked certified fat loss coach and AskMen contributorMitch Calvert to weigh in on this: "Higher protein diets are associated with decreased body fat, lower BMI (Body Mass Index) and higher HDL (High Density Lipoprotein — read, the "good") cholesterol than lower protein diets." Not only is a higher protein diet closely associated to keeping that beer gut to a minimum, but it will also help your body keep away harmful levels of LDL (the "bad") cholesterol down.

Additionally, a higher protein diet will keep you satiated for much longer than its higher calorie, carbohydrate and fat-based counterpart. "Filling your plate with a palm or two portions of lean protein is going to be very satiating."

How Much Protein Do You Need Exactly?

The answer to the question of how much protein is healthy for an adult male to take in is not exactly straightforward. Like many other areas of scientific study, research has come up with a fairly wide variety of answers to this question, ranging form underplaying the importance of protein on a more fundamental level to finding that even minimal amounts of protein supplements can start the muscle-building process of the body.

To complicate matters further, what should really inform the recommended daily amount of protein intake is the question of what your current dietary and fitness goals are. For instance: The recommended amount of protein intake for a 200-pound bodybuilder will differ greatly from the recommended amount for a man with a much lower body weight, trying to stay lean for an upcoming marathon.

Trainer Mitch Calvert has a handy rule of thumb he likes to refer to: "I normally have clients aim for .75-1 gram per pound of bodyweight." In other words, a 180-pound man should aim for anywhere between 135 and 180 grams of protein. To put that into perspective, that's roughly seven to eight scoops of whey protein supplement or a dozen eggs. Before you scoff and stop reading, you will see that filling your daily requirements without reaching for the whey protein tub every three hours is not nearly as hard as it may sound. As you may already know, variety is the spice of life and you don't want to have to consume dozens of eggs every day.

Editor's note: We've intentionally left out whey protein and other sources of isolated protein until the very end to show you that it's possible to get away with what Mother Nature has gifted us. Besides, advertised protein amounts on packaging can be very deceiving and, in some cases, entirely inaccurate. With eggs and milk, you know what you're putting into your body.

1. Eggs

100 calories of eggs gets you a whopping 13 grams of protein. And now that we can finally stop talking about the faulty claims of yolk cholesterol blocking up your arteries, skip out on the cartons of egg whites and reach for the real thing. If your current diet and body weight require substantial amounts of protein, go for 3 to 4 eggs. Fry them up in an omelette in the morning, hard boil them for a snack at work or poach them for a luxurious Saturday morning feast. There are a million things you can do with eggs.

Western Omelette

1/4 cup of grated cheese (try Monterey Jack or an aged cheddar for best results)

Whisk eggs in a medium bowl and add the milk until slightly frothy. Chop the ham into 1-inch strips and grate the cheese. Pour the mixture into a non-stick pan or skillet over medium heat. Turn down the heat to medium-low immediately and sprinkle the cheese and ham over top. Let the eggs cook through, about 4-5 minutes. When the mixture has solidified, using a spatula, carefully fold the omelette in half and let cook an additional 1-2 minutes until everything in the middle has melted and mixed together.

The Perfect Hard Boiled Egg

Eggs come in a perfect package, provided by nature herself. While throwing a couple of raw eggs into your backpack to eat later is obviously a terrible idea, hard boiling them first will make sure that you won't end up with a huge mess.

If you'd rather have them ready to eat immediately, consider adding a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda to the water to increase the alkalinity of the water. This will allow you to peel the eggs much easier afterwards. The second method of making hard boiled eggs easier to peel is to place the eggs in cold water first and bring this to a boil instead of adding the eggs to already boiling water. The perfect hard boiled egg should be boiled for 8 minutes before cooling them off under cold water.

Deviled Eggs

Deviled eggs make for the perfect snack throughout the week. A bunch of them can be prepared ahead of time and can be an absolute treat when energy levels are down or you're having a particularly energy-sapping day. Granted, if you are averse to mayonnaise, you'd be better off skipping out on this one.

You will need to hard boil and peel the 6 eggs first before preparing the rest (see above). With a sharp knife, slice the eggs down the middle and extract the solidified egg yolks with a small spoon. Gently squeeze the sides of the egg whites to make things easier. Mash the yolks with a fork, season with salt and pepper. Add the mayonnaise and mustard and mix well. Using a small spoon, scoop about a tablespoon of mixture back into the egg white halves. I suggest eating them within the first day of making them.

2. Greek Yogurt

Greek yogurt has 10 grams of protein per 100 grams (which comes out to be about half a cup) and the good news is that it's absolutely delicious. Avoid the sweetened, fruit flavored varieties (unless it fits your macros, bro) — they contain a lot of added sugars. Add your own controlled sweetener of choice, such as fresh berries, honey or brown sugar.

And if you're pressed for time? Fitness coach Mitch Calvert has just the thing for you: “I like to throw a scoop of protein powder in plain greek yogurt and mix it up. Poor man’s pudding in a pinch.”

Greek Yogurt Parfait

Greek yogurt is best enjoyed with some simple additions, like honey, blueberries, strawberries, raspberries and granola. To put together a high-protein snack that's easy to prep in the mornings, gather the following ingredients for a delicious treat:

1 cup of Greek yogurt

1/2 cup of your favorite granola

1/2 cup of berries of your choice

2 tablespoons of honey

Combine everything in a bowl and give it a brief stir. Not only will the Greek yogurt contribute a large portion of your daily recommended protein intake, but the granola will contribute additional amounts of protein as well.

3. Quark Or Cottage Cheese

'What the hell is quark?' you may ask. It's essentially strained milk protein that comes in the form of a fresh, slightly sour, very loose cream cheese-like substance. More than 13 grams of protein per 100 grams makes this an amazing choice for a fresh, satiating afternoon snack. Flavor it the same way you'd sweeten a yogurt.

4. 2% Milk

You really don't have to go out of your way to maintain a diet that's high in protein. A simple glass of milk can contain up to 9 grams of protein. That's plenty and makes it almost as nutrient-rich as an egg. If you're trying to cut fat, consider skim milk. Just make sure to not completely disregard fat in your diet, as it still has plenty of its own benefits.

5. A Good Ol' Protein Bar

Yes, you don't have to cut out all the sweet things in life to maintain a high-protein diet. What you do want to do before indulging, however, is check the small print on the labels of protein bars, as some of them are packed with unnecessary refined sugars and sweeteners. For some quick pre-workout energy, a Quest or Builder bar can do wonders, but like with all things in life, moderation is key when resorting to a protein bar.

“A lot of protein bars are candy bars dressed us as health food, but I like the nutritional profile on Combat and Quest Bars, so I recommend those regularly to clients who travel a lot with little time for food prep," says fat loss coach Mitch Calvert.

Quest Bars

Quest Bars are a decent choice when you've run out of time to prepare a protein-filled snack in the morning. Each bar clocks in just under 200 calories and contains around 19 grams of protein. That means you can treat yourself every once in a while without hurting your macro nutritional goals too much. Added sugars are typically kept to a minimum.

Combat Bars

6. Light Tuna

Fish in general is an amazing source of lean protein. 100 grams of light tuna (only about 200 calories) contain an insane 30 grams of protein. That's three times as much as a glass of milk. To sweeten the deal, a can of tuna should only set you back a buck or two and can be easily transported to work and whipped up into a tasty salad. Add some low-fat mayonnaise, sweet corn and a dash of paprika and you've got yourself the perfect lunch. Otherwise, you can always eat it straight from the can — we won't judge.

7. Turkey Or Chicken Cold Cuts

If you are short on time or don't have the energy to fry up some chicken breast before work, pick up some cold cuts from the deli counter. Especially without bread, they're lean, delicious and very high in protein. 100 grams of cold cut turkey will yield you over 15 grams of protein and only about 4 grams of carbohydrates. Cut the slices into strips and add them to a salad in the morning for an extra nutritious lunch break.

8. Nuts And Seeds

Don't let the high caloric nature of mixed nuts scare you off: We're dealing with fats of the unsaturated variety and that's a good thing. 20 grams of protein per 100 grams is nothing to scoff at, but bear in mind, healthy or not, this will still set you back 600 calories. If you're trying to trim down a little, try one of our other suggestions instead.

High-Protein Granola

A great way to increase your protein intake through nuts and seeds is to mix together a large batch of high-protein granola. It will serve as an excellent addition to other high-protein snacks, like Greek yogurt, as well. The trick is to reduce the amount of added sugars as much as possible. This means you need to avoid adding sweeteners, like brown sugar, regular sugar, chocolate chips and honey.

What you'll also want to look out for are ingredients that are already naturally high in protein. Topping the list are pumpkin seeds, dry roasted peanuts, almonds and sunflower seeds. All of these ingredients also happen to make excellent additions to your morning granola.

What you'll need:

4 cups of oats (steel-cut are perfect)

3/4 cups of nuts and seeds of your choice (look above for some great options)

1/2 cup of apple juice

1/3 cup of syrup (maple syrup is a great choice)

3 tablespoons of vegetable oil

1/2 teaspoon of salt

Preheat your oven to 325 Fahrenheit. Mix all ingredients together in a medium bowl. Spread out the mixture onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Bake for 10 minutes, stir well to make sure the edges won't burn, then bake for another 10 minutes.

9. Peanut Butter

This one is for all the guys out there who are on a bulk. Trying to put on some muscle but falling short of your daily caloric goal? Add some peanut butter to everything. Peanut butter is high in unsaturated fats (and therefore calories), but 8 grams of protein for just 2 tablespoons makes it a pretty great way to bulk up.

10. Protein Shakes

We've all been there: The alarm didn't go off, you're gonna be late for work and you definitely don't have time to pack yourself a lunch. Protein supplements are a very convenient way to up your protein intake if you simply run out of time or if your busy schedule doesn't allow you to fry up an omelette every morning.

Largely speaking, whey-based protein powders come in two forms: concentrate powders and isolates. The first will usually be composed of below 80% protein by weight and the latter of over 90% — you'll need more concentrate to achieve the same amount of protein per serving than with isolates.

They come in a variety of flavors, from chocolate chip to cookies and cream and beyond. It may take some time to find the flavor that you like the most, but until you do, you can mix it up with almost anything you'd throw into a regular smoothie. If you prefer to simply give yourself a protein boost, you can opt for unflavored protein powder as well.

Berry Shake

What you'll need:

2 scoops of your favorite whey protein

A handful of frozen raspberries, strawberries, or mixed berries

2 cups of 2% milk

A handful of ice

Mix it all together in a blender and seal it well in a protein shaker for later consumption throughout the day.

11. Beef Jerky

Beef jerky is an excellent snack to take with you when you're out and about and need a little protein boost. On average, 100 grams of beef jerky contain about 33 grams of protein. An extra benefit of jerky is that it is a very lean cut of the meat that has been trimmed of any excess fats. Just don't let that deceive you: 100 grams will still put you back just over 400 calories. Did we also mention that it's super easy to pack in your bag and super delicious? For someone trying to increase their daily protein intake, beef jerky is a no-brainer.

Remember, Kids...

It's not hard to keep up your daily protein intake. Hell, when push comes to shove, a burger at McDonald's has a substantial amount of protein (besides saturated fats and additives, of course). But if there's one thing you should take away here it's that the key to attaining your health goals is moderation. Having a wide variety of sources of protein can only do your body good and won't make you get sick of eggs after the first week. Don't disregard carbohydrates and fats entirely either. After all, they still play a vital role in your diet and can provide you with the energy you'll need to get through a long day.

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